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Portland based web hosting company, ThinkHost, Inc., has switched its operations to 100 percent renewable energy. The web host is powered through a mix of wind and solar generated power. ThinkHost was established in 1999.
According to Vladislav Davidzon, Executive Director of ThinkHost, ''We've had a very serious environmental and progressive business commitment since we began. We sponsor a number of environmental groups and have had a very successful donation program in place since early 2004.''
Due to ThinkHost's infrastructure and geographical distribution, the company couldn't install solar panels or construct wind turbines to supply their needs, but green energy certificates allowed ThinkHost to achieve its goals. After an extensive audit of electricity use—everything from server consumption to the power used in staff offices scattered throughout the world, ThinkHost acquired the necessary green energy tags to offset the non-renewable consumption. This is becoming an increasingly common practice with forward thinking companies.
Further to implementing their 100 percent renewable energy policy as part of the company's green program, ThinkHost also plans to assist other businesses in understanding progressive principles via their new blog and forums. Source: Cheap Web Hosting Directory, 12/7/2005
Environmental Advocates of New York announced that it has teamed with the Pace Law School Energy Project to bring the Power Scorecard retail electricity product rating system to consumers in New York. The Power Scorecard rates electricity products in terms of two criteria: (1) pollution impacts and (2) commitment to new renewable energy supply sources. Six national environmental organizations developed the Power Scorecard as a tool to help consumers evaluate their electricity choices. The Power Scorecard also rates electricity products sold in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas. Source: Green Power Marketing Monthly Update — November 2005.
Environmental Resources Trust announced that it has released a revised Uniform National Standard for EcoPower renewable energy certificates. Some noteworthy revisions include: requiring Ecopower—certified RECs to be derived exclusively from new renewable energy sources—defined as beginning operation on or after January 1, 1998—starting in 2007, and adding certain solar water heating systems as eligible renewable energy sources. Other key additions are a newly revised certification statement and a checklist of environmental assets, which will be attached to EcoPower RECs and are designed to clarify what attributes are conveyed with any given REC purchase. Source: Green Power Marketing Monthly Update — November 2005.
PacifiCorp has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement to purchase the output of a 42-megawatt geothermal electric generating plant near Cove Fort, Utah. The project is anticipated to be on line prior to December 31, 2007. Amp Resources (Cove Fort) LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, will develop, own and operate the project. PacifiCorp operates as Utah Power in Utah and Idaho; and as Pacific Power in Oregon, Washington, Wyoming and California.
The Cove Fort project will be constructed on the site of a smaller geothermal plant that Amp Resources has acquired from the Utah Municipal Power Agency and the City of Provo, Utah. "We're pleased to be expanding clean geothermal capacity in our region," said Rich Walje, President of Utah Power. "Our Blundell Geothermal Plant, also in Beaver County, has been an important part of our resource mix since 1986, so we have an understanding and commitment to this type of renewable electric generation. Our resource planning process recognizes the benefits to all of our customers of increasing the amount of renewable resources in our generating fleet."
The Cove Fort project was selected as part of PacifiCorp's Request for Proposals 2003-B, to acquire up to 1,100 megawatts of cost effective renewable resources. In response to the request, PacifiCorp received more than 50 bids for some 6,000 megawatts of renewable energy projects including wind, geothermal, hydro, solar and biomass. Source: Release from PacifiCorp, 12/6/2005.
GE Energy has released its highest power and highest efficiency solar module to date. Designed for commercial solar applications, the new 200-watt solar module uses polycrystalline cells. Offering higher output per square foot, the new module speeds the installation process by reducing the amount of racking and labor associated with a large solar array installation. GE Energy's 200-watt solar module has been UL 1703-certified and California Energy Commission-listed. The continuing advancement of solar technology is a key element of GE ecomagination, a GE commitment to bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges. Using GE Energy's 200-watt solar modules will allow us to increase the amount of power generation per square foot of roofing space by 20 percent. This results in savings for customers on both material and labor costs while reducing the amount of roof space they need to allocate to power generation. GE Energy is one of the suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technology. Source: Construction Press Service, 12/8/2005.
Wind power project completion announcements for a record year in new installations are start to come in fast and furious as the end of the year draws near. As of November 22, nearly all of the turbines in the 150-MW Elk River Wind Farm in Beaumont, Kans., were reported to be operational. The project has been delivering some power since October 15. The remaining turbines were expected to be up and running by the end of November. Greenlight Energy conducted the initial development work on the Elk River project. PPM Energy bought the development rights in December, 2004, and brought the project to completion. Empire District Electric of Joplin, Mo., contracted to purchase the power output on a long-term basis. According to local news reports, the project created about 200 construction jobs, and about 10 ongoing full-time operations and maintenance jobs.
Great River Energy announced on November 30 that it had begun taking power from the Trimont Area Wind Farm. The 100-MW wind energy plant located near Jackson, Minn., began commercial operation on November 29. The project is expected to generate renewable energy equivalent to the annual electric consumption of 29,000 homes served by Great River Energy’s 28 member cooperatives. The Trimont Area Wind Farm consists of 67 GE Energy 1.5-MW wind turbines situated on approximately 8,900 acres of farm land. The project was launched by a coalition of 43 landowners in Jackson and Martin counties responding to a Great River Energy request for proposals in 2003. Portland, Oregon-based PPM Energy developed the project.
Puget Sound Energy also announced that the Hopkins Ridge wind power project, located near Dayton, Wash., was online. “This is a milestone for our customers and for our company,” said Steve Reynolds, the utility’s chairman, president, and CEO. “Hopkins Ridge marks the beginning of a new era for us, with a clean, cost-effective source of renewable power taking a prominent place in our mix of electricity supply.” The Hopkins Ridge Wind Project has 83 Vestas 1.8-MW spread across 11,000 acres of mostly privately-owned range and farm land. When all 83 turbines are running at peak capacity, they can generate energy to supply about 50,000 homes. The $200 million power-generating facility makes PSE the only Northwest utility to solely own and operate a large wind farm. PSE says that it expects to have expects to have the 230-MW Wild Horse project farm operational by late 2006. Source: AWEA Wind Energy Weekly #1169, 12/2/2005.
Move over, Jersey tomatoes. Some farmers are producing a new crop: energy. They’re putting solar power systems over barn roofs and fields to make electricity for their homes, farm buildings and irrigation systems – and reducing pollution at the same time. A further lure is a unique program that uses state rebates, credits and investor funds to cover all the upfront costs of the expensive solar power systems, including maintenance. The program also guarantees farmers at least 10 percent savings on their electric bills.
Barely a year into what’s called the Power Crop Initiative, two dozen farms have solar power systems running or are getting them installed soon, and dozens more are planned. “It’s a great concept,” said Ronny Lee, owner of Lee Turkey Farm in suburban East Windsor, which also produces fruits, vegetables and flowers. Lee, who last fall became the first farmer to get a solar system under the project, said his system on sunny days produces more energy than he uses.
The partnership uses rebates from the state Board of Public Utilities’ Office of Clean Energy to cover about half the system’s costs, said Pamela Frank, Sun Farm’s director of marketing and public relations. Under a second state program to encourage production of clean energy, credits called renewable energy certificates, for the solar power the farmers produce, are sold to utilities or companies wanting to support renewable energy.
The New Jersey Farm Bureau notified its 8,000 farmer members about the project 18 months ago, and at least 15 percent have shown interest, said bureau president Rich Nieuwenhuis. New Jersey Agriculture Secretary Charles Kuperus said a majority of New Jersey farmers eventually might embrace solar power, which he thinks also would work for places such as vegetable and fruit packing sheds and horse barns. Source: The Chief Engineer, 12/6/2005.
Global economies could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a significant amount if they were to increase their use of Green Heat technologies. Green Heat is the use of renewable energies for low-grade thermal applications to heat and cool buildings, and to heat water. Common technologies are solar thermal, earth energy (geothermal) heat pumps and biomass systems.
In Canada, GHG emissions from these three applications were 109 megatonne in 2003, while all coal-fired power plants released 107 Mt. The analysis is contained in the presentation to be delivered by the Canadian Association for Renewable Energies at the COP11 conference in Montreal this Friday, December 9.
A recent analysis for the province of Ontario shows that a GreenTherms Standard (a regulated requirement to install an increasing level of Green Heat, similar to a Renewable Portfolio Standard for green power) could displace the combustion of 1 billion cubic metres of natural gas by 2020.
Groups in Europe are calling for a Green Heat directive to complement the continent’s targets for green power and green fuels, and the United Kingdom is considering a Renewable Heat Obligation to complement its RO on green power. The Montreal presentation will feature Elizabeth May of the Sierra Club, Guy Dauncey of the BC Sustainable Energy Association and Bill Eggertson of renewables.ca, and will be complemented by a UN webcast on the topic of Green Heat. Source: Canadian Association for Renewable Energies via I-Newswire.com, 12/6/2005.
Come rising fuel prices or tougher environmental regulations, St. Cloud’s new housing project for veterans and the homeless won’t feel the pinch. That’s because it will use a source of energy guaranteed to be reliable, less costly and friendlier to the environment: heat from the Earth itself.
The Al Loehr Veterans and Community Studio Apartments will feature a geothermal heating and cooling system. It’s possibly the first public housing project in the country to use such a system, said Les Henson, community development director for the St. Cloud Housing and Redevelopment Authority.
The $6 million St. Cloud facility is being built north of Apollo High School, between the VA Medical Center and the Minnesota Department of Transportation offices. Fifty-one percent of the 60 single-room apartments will be reserved for veterans.
Cost savings: The St. Cloud HRA decided to use a geothermal system primarily because of the heating and cooling costs it’s expected to save — about $30,000 a year, Henson said. The project will use 96 wells, averaging depths of 138 feet, said Mike Blaskowski, general manager of J-Berd Mechanical of St. Cloud, which is installing the system.
Popularity: With oil and gas prices on the rise, geothermal systems have been getting more attention. J-Berd has bid as many geothermal systems during the past year as the past several years, Blaskowski said. Geothermal systems are typically installed in larger buildings because of the extra land needed for the wells. But there’s no reason a smaller office or home couldn’t use one, Blaskowski said. Source: By Kirsti Marohn, St. Cloud Times, 12/6/2005.
Ormat's subsidiary, Ormat Nevada Inc., commissioned the first geothermal power plant constructed in Nevada under the Nevada RPS legislation on November 14, 2005. The plant was commissioned only 8 months after Ground Breaking. Formerly known as the Galena 1 Project, the plant was renamed in honor of Governor Kenny Guinn’s late energy advisor Richard “Dick” Burdette Jr.
The state of the art 20 MW Geothermal Power Plant is integrated into the existing Steamboat Geothermal Complex and brings the total output supplied from Steamboat to Sierra Pacific Power to 45 MW, which is sufficient to power 45,000 homes. It is an air-cooled binary power plant that re-injects 100 percent of all geothermal fluid produced, and consumes no water or chemicals. Contrary to wind power plants, it works continuously, providing base load power.
In commenting on the value of geothermal energy, Roberto Denis of Sierra Pacific noted that “Ormat is producing power and selling it to us at rates that are competitive with our ability to generate it with fossil fuels, or buy it in the open wholesale market, while avoiding the impact of fuel price fluctuations.”
Secretary Moorer said that the US Department of Energy is proud of its long and successful partnership with ORMAT, which dates back to the Ormesa Project in the Imperial Valley of California in 1981, a project that validated the feasibility of large-scale commercial binary power plants. He went on to say that this facility will take geothermal to the next level and represents the future of geothermal energy. Source: GEA Update December 2, 2005.
GE Energy recently announced that it will deliver approximately 500 megawatts of 1.5-MW wind turbines for projects planned by PPM Energy during 2006 and 2007. According to GE Energy, the company has signed agreements with PPM for a total of 334 GE 1.5-MW units. “With growing awareness and concern over the environment, wind energy has become a popular energy alternative,” said GE Energy wind segment general manager Robert Gleitz. “At the same time, the recent extension of the federal production tax credit is encouraging companies like PPM to increase their investments in cleaner wind energy, helping to meet our nation’s expanding power needs while minimizing carbon emissions.” Contact: Dennis Murphy, GE Energy, phone 678-844-6948. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 12/6/2005.
At least seven Midstate school systems are tapping into the earth to reduce heating costs during this winter's energy crunch, but Metro Nashville is not among them. The Sumner County schools pioneered geothermal energy use in the area seven years ago, and officials say they are saving on utility bills and maintenance.
Robertson, Maury, Williamson and Clarksville-Montgomery schools have tried it more recently and are giving it high marks. In Nashville, Metro's schools director of planning and construction, Arnold Von Hagen, considers it risky, said Chris Russell, a Metro schools spokesman. "As far as he is concerned, it's not a proven enough system to employ here," Russell said.
Nine of the county's schools, a teacher center and the central school board offices use the earth-boosted heating and cooling, said Robert McAllister, Sumner County schools energy manager. The rub is the upfront cost. Geothermal, which requires drilling holes and laying pipes deep into the ground, costs more than a traditional heating and cooling system — $600,000 more at Portland High.
In Portland High's case, 300 6-inch holes called wells were drilled 150 feet deep next to the school. A closed pipe snakes through the holes and into and through the building to electrically powered heat pumps that take advantage of the "free" heating or cooling. "It's not what you see. It's what you don't see," McAllister said. "There's nothing to vandalize, to freeze or for the wind to blow over. It's out of sight. It's a clean installation with little maintenance needed."
McAllister boasts that heating and cooling costs at the retrofitted high school have dropped from $1.75 a square foot to 85 cents but acknowledges, too, that adding geothermal was not the only change made in 2004. Insulation, more efficient lighting, double-paned windows and an energy management plan that includes shutting down the heating or cooling before and after school hours are part of the effort. McAllister, who has installed geothermal at his home, says he wouldn't have anything else. "I would put it in my car if I could figure out a way to do it." Source: By Anne Paine, Tennessean.com, 12/8/2005.
The National Wind Coordinating Committee 2006 call schedule is posted online. This is a call forecast; bear in mind that calls may be rescheduled if conflicts arise or additional calls are needed. Any such changes will be noted in the NWCC update and in workgroup emails. Presentations from last week’s Technical Considerations in Siting Wind Energy meeting are available online. Source: Katie Kalinowski, NWCC Outreach Associate, 12/6/2005.
On January 12, NREL's Energy Analysis Office and DOE will present a seminar on PV inverter technology cost and performance projections. The U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Program recently published a multiyear technical plan, which establishes a goal of reducing the Levelized Energy Cost for photovoltaic systems to $0.06/kWh by 2020. NREL requested that Navigant Consulting Inc. conduct a review of historical and projected cost and performance improvements for PV inverters, including identification of critical barriers identified and the approaches government might use to address them. In this presentation, Navigant representatives will discuss their findings in the DOE-directed review of the PV Program's technical and economic targets, including the target set for PV inverters. Source: Energy Analysis Newsletter — December 2005
A consultant report titled, “Publicly Owned Electric Utilities and the California Renewables Portfolio Standard: A Summary of Data Collection Activities” (Energy Commission Publication No. CEC-300-2005-023) is available. This report provides information on barriers to and policy options for publicly owned utility participation in meeting California's accelerated RPS targets. Some parties receiving this e-mail will also receive a hard copy of the notice of availability for this report. Please let me know if you would like your name removed from this e-mail distribution list. To view the document, please visit the Energy Commission's Web site.
About 300 people attended the recent Tenth National Green Power Marketing Conference on October 24-26 in Austin, Texas. The annual conference reviews the status of green power marketing in electricity markets and explores strategies to increase the development of renewable energy resources through customer choice. It is organized by the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Center for Resource Solutions. The conference presentations have been posted on the DOE Green Power Network Web site. Also at the conference, DOE, EPA, and CRS presented the Fifth Annual Green Power Leadership Awards, which recognize leading national green power purchasers and suppliers. Award winners and additional information are posted on EPA's Green Power Partnership Web site. Source: Energy Analysis Newsletter — December 2005
"An Introduction to Geothermal Permitting," written to help geothermal entrepreneurs, small businesses, and developers better understand the seemingly overwhelming permitting process, is now available in PDF format. Source: Liz Battocletti, 12/2/2005.
Local Illinois newspaper The Pantagraph recently reported that the Children's Discovery Museum in Normal, IL has become the first such facility in the country to be awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver certification. According to the newspaper, Normal assistant city manager Pamela Reece said the museum earned the LEED rating by incorporating such green building technologies as an energy-efficient HVAC system and reflective roofing, as well as utilizing locally sourced building products comprising highly recyclable materials.
The paper said Association of Children's Museums executive director Janet Rice Elman noted that 10 other museums in the U.S. are currently seeking U.S. Green Building Council certification or proceeding with their own green construction plans. "The [children's museum] field is growing so rapidly, it's a natural fit to see a certain number looking at green building designs," said Rice Elman. Source: The Pantagraph via EIN Renewable Energy Today, 11/29/2005.
Alcoa recently announced that the Low Impact Hydropower Institute has certified Alcoa Power Generating Inc.'s Tapoco hydroelectric project as an "environmentally responsible, low-impact hydropower project that meets and exceeds the most stringent operating requirements recommended by expert state and federal resource agencies."
According to Alcoa, the Tapoco project is the largest hydropower project to be certified by LIHI on the East Coast and the first to receive an eight-year certification in recognition of meeting special watershed management criteria. Alcoa noted that the 350-megawatt project includes four powerhouses and four dams in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 12/1/2005.
The Intermountain West Geothermal Consortium, whose mission is to support national energy security through research into and development of under-utilized geothermal resources, was authorized in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The IWGC has already met twice for organizational purposes and to define their science strategy. Karl Gawell, Executive Director of GEA, has agreed to participate on the IWGC advisory board to help with efforts to develop a closer relationship with industry. Partner institutes designated in the language include Boise State University, Idaho National Laboratory, University of Idaho, Desert Research Institute, Energy and Geosciences Institute, and the GeoHeat Center. IWGC's next meeting is scheduled for Boise, Idaho on January 5th and 6th. Industry representatives interested in participating in the next meeting or on the advisory board, please contact Sarah Bigger. Source: GEA Update December 2, 2005.
The World Resource Institute team is pleased to share with you the latest news about the Green Power Market Development Group's efforts to build corporate markets for new, cost-competitive green power in the US. Recently they announced that in 2005 our twelve corporate partners more than doubled their support for renewable energy — adding 185 MW to reach 360 MW. In addition, WRI has launched a sister effort in Europe to help diversify corporate energy purchasing in Europe and four European firms join six of our existing partners in this effort. Additionally, WRI recently released their latest publication entitled "Corporate Guide to Green Power Markets" which looks at the business case for renewable energy. This is an updated version of the business case — which offers many examples and is in a shorter format. Source: Jennifer Layke, 12/2/2005.
On November 22, 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency agreed to reconsider certain aspects of the Clean Air Interstate Rule. The EPA will be holding a public hearing on December 14, 2005 and will be accepting comments through January 13, 2006. Source: EMA Tips, 12/5/2005.
The United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Montreal, Canada finalized the “rule book” of the Kyoto Protocol. Some of the decisions that were adopted include the establishment of the Joint Implementation Advisory Board and the clean development mechanism. In addition, decisions were made regarding a range of operational considerations, including: how emissions of countries are accounted for; precise guidelines on the data systems that have to be set up; and the rules governing how absorption of carbon dioxide by agricultural soils and forest is to be measured. Source: EMA Tips, 12/5/2005.
With energy costs at Evanston Township High School expected to jump by more than a half million dollars next year, the District 202 School Board has renewed its interest in wind energy and alternative sources that would reduce the school's dependence on fossil fuels.
For more than a decade, District 202 used a cogeneration system that used natural gas to generate electrical power. When the costs of natural gas became prohibitive for the amount of power produced, the school district ceased co-generation and began purchasing natural gas on the futures market. Prices locked in one year ago, at 70 cents per therm, are scheduled to expire in March 2006 and could jump to $1.11 per therm, a 59 percent increase in April. At that time, the school's annual bill for natural gas could soar from $650,000 to $1.1 million.
School administrators also are expecting a 15 to 20 percent increase in the electric bill, from $591,000 in 2004-05 to roughly $680,000 in 2006-07. A wind turbine of the scale needed to produce the 2.4 megawatts of electricity needed by the high school would cost about $3 million. The wind turbine or turbines would not be located on school property, but at a remote location.
Currently, several wind turbine farms operate in west central Illinois and the state is encouraging rural landowners to lease property for construction of wind turbines. The power generated by wind turbines is transmitted over the same utility lines that carry electric power from other sources. Source: By Karen Berkowitz, Evanston Review, 12/8/2005.
The California Energy Commission has released its agenda and following two presentations for the December 7, 2005, Committee Workshop on Proposed Changes to the Renewables Portfolio Standard Guidelines and Procurement Verification Report. Source: CEC Release, 12/8/2005.
The Renewable Fuels Association has recently released its Ethanol Report #234 dated December 8, 2005. The report is now available on the Internet. Source: Renewable Fuels Association, 12/8/2005.
The World Bank Group committed US$212 million to new renewable energy projects this year, representing a 15-year total commitment of $2.5 billion. The WBG annual progress report says it also funded $87 million in energy efficiency and another $449 million for large hydro (over 10 MW capacity) in the most recent fiscal year, for a combined total of $748 million compared with $339 million in the previous year. Total commitments to the three sectors since 1990 exceed $9 billion.
The lowest level of funding for new renewables was in 1991, when $2 million was supported, while the high was in 2000 at $444 million. The highest level for energy efficiency was $380 million in 1996, while hydro received $938 million in 1993.
The report shows the progress made in the year since WBG committed to increase its support for new renewables and energy efficiency by an average of 20 percent per year from 2005 to 2009. That commitment was made in Bonn, Germany in June 2004, at the International Renewable Energies Conference, and later endorsed by the World Bank Board of Executive Directors.
The report includes the support provided by the six regional energy units of the WBG, International Finance Corporation, Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, Carbon Finance operations, Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme, and the Asia Alternative & Sustainable Energy Program. It notes that each dollar of WBG financing leveraged $5 from private investors, governments and others.
By region, Africa received $46 million last year for new renewables projects, for a 15-year total of $338 million. East Asia & Pacific received $129 million ($840m), Europe & Central Asia received $6 million ($92m), Latin America & Caribbean received $15 million ($430m), Middle East & North Africa received $1 million ($45m) and South Asia received $16 million ($525 million over the period).
Forty renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in 28 countries were supported, with the smallest being the Yemen Rural Electrification & Renewable Energy Development Project, and the highest being$137 million for the first phase of the Renewable Energy Scale-up Program in support of China’s commitment to increase its share of renewables from 7 percent of generation capacity to 15 percent by 2020. The work plan for the coming year “will continue and build on the work begun” to support the scale-up commitment for renewables and efficiency, the report adds. The primary objective will be to strengthen the infrastructure and provide the necessary support to operations unit to achieve scale-up, with specific activities to include increasing business development activities for renewables through IFC’s newly-created business units and streamlined approaches to scale up carbon finance funding for renewables projects in Africa.
The WBG will also complete and distribute its ‘REToolKit’ and prepare its ‘Business Handbook for Renewable Energy,’ and “explore opportunities within existing and new lending portfolios to increase the volume of investments” for renewables. Source: Refocus Weekly, 12/7/2005.
The Western Area Power Administration has issued a solicitation for statements of interest in transmission capacity rights for a new electric transmission development between Colorado and Wyoming. This action follows the announcement last month that Western had joined the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority and Trans-Elect in an effort to jointly develop transmission on the “TOT 3” corridor connecting Colorado and Wyoming. The response to this solicitation will enable a formal appraisal of interest in this transmission upgrade so that its public service benefits can be determined.
All statements of interest should be received at Western’s Rocky Mountain Regional Office by December. Statements of interest should be sent to Robert Kennedy, restructuring manager at Western. They can be faxed to 970-461-7423, or mailed to 5555 East Crossroads Boulevard, Loveland, CO 80538. More information is available in the Federal Register notice, “page 69338.”
The state of Wyoming led by Governor Dave Freudenthal (D), several utilities, wind and coal energy producers, and business leaders, have supported the public-private partnership model for this transmission development project. The TOT 3 upgrade was a key recommendation of the 2004 Rocky Mountain Area Transmission Study. Source: AWEA Wind Energy Weekly #1169, 12/2/2005.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa proposed Wednesday that the city spend $240 million to help construct a transmission line that will allow Los Angeles to tap electricity from geothermal fields in the Salton Sea area. Dubbed the "Green Path" project, the five-year construction effort will help Villaraigosa meet his goal of having renewable energy sources make up 20 percent of the electricity provided by the city Department of Water and Power by the year 2010. When the transmission line is completed, it will be capable of carrying 2,000 megawatts of electricity to California customers, or enough to power 1.5 million homes, with Los Angeles planning to take up to 20 percent of that power, according to DWP General Manager Ron Deaton.
The project, announced near a North Hollywood dog park beneath DWP power lines, is a partnership between the Los Angeles agency, the Imperial Irrigation District and the nonprofit group Citizens Energy. The irrigation district — which has a consumer-owned electric utility that provides power to more than 130,000 customers in the Coachella and Imperial valleys, as well as part of San Diego County — will spend $150 million.
Citizens Energy, which provides low-income residents across the nation with assistance paying their utility costs, will invest $60 million. The project will upgrade existing transmission lines and create new interconnection points. About 500 miles of new lines will be built, including 100 miles by the DWP. For more information, please see the Los Angeles Times story. Source: GEA Update December 2, 2005.
Assemblyman Ryan Scott Karben (D/I-Rockland), Chairman of the Assembly's recently created Subcommittee on Renewable Energy, launched the panel's work with an Albany hearing this week investigating a new 2 percent utility bill surcharge created by the Public Service Commission to fund the use of renewable energy in New York. The surcharge is being imposed as New Yorkers face an estimated $10 billion increase in their energy bills this winter.
The surcharge will fund the implementation of the Renewable Portfolio Standard, which was created by a PSC Order in 2004 in part to address increasing concerns over an overdependence on climate threatening fossil fuels. Pursuant to the order, the RPS will be funded through a surcharge on electric utility customer bills funding programs administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Representatives from the PSC and NYSERDA testified this week.
Karben, a member of the Assembly's Energy Committee, is holding the hearing jointly with that panel's chairman, Paul D. Tonko (D-Montgomery). The hearing will examine the implementation process of the RPS; its impact on electric consumer bills; the methodology used to determine costs of the program; the capability of the RPS to reduce fossil fuel costs; the coordination of the RPS with other legislated and administratively-established energy programs; and the success of other state RPS programs resulting in the construction of renewable energy sources and reduced dependency on fossil fuel sources of electricity. The public hearing took place Wednesday, December 7, 2005 at the Legislative Office Building in Albany. Source: RenewableEnergyAccess.com, 12/8/2005.
As wind power begins to blow into Maine, state regulators on Wednesday considered its potential to squeeze increasingly expensive — and less environmentally friendly — fossil fuels out of the region's energy mix.
"Introducing ... wind will help with fuel diversity, price stability and energy independence," Beth Nagusky, Maine's director of energy independence and security, told members of the Land Use Regulation Commission at its Wednesday morning meeting.
Since 2000, Maine has become increasingly dependent on natural gas to generate electricity. In 2000, roughly 25 percent of the electricity generated in Maine came from natural gas. In 2002, that number was 73 percent, she said. As the price of natural gas has risen, so have the state's electricity costs, according to Nagusky, who told commissioners that alternative sources of power — including wind — could help lower those costs.
Maine and the rest of northern New England have seen a surge in wind power proposals in recent years as developers seek to tap into the Northeast energy market, where demand is particularly high. At least four wind power projects have been proposed in Maine, mainly in the state's rural, unorganized areas. In Franklin County, a Canadian company wants to erect 200 turbines on the western mountains.
Pete Didisheim of the Natural Resources Council of Maine told the commission that certain sensitive sites — such as Mount Katahdin and Cadillac Mountain — should be off-limits to such development. But he did say his group strongly supported wind technology in appropriate areas because of its potential environmental benefits. "We believe the status quo ... is creating unacceptable harm in terms of public health, environmental damage and our pocketbooks," Didisheim said. "Wind power holds the potential ... to reduce some of that harm." Source: Bangor Daily News, 12/8/2005.
The California Energy Commission has recently posted its staff presentations for the workshop on the 2006 Summer Electricity Supply and Demand. Source: CEC Release, 12/8/2005.
Shipment of solar PV cells and modules rose 65 percent in the United States last year, with a five-fold increase in imports. “2004 was a big year for photovoltaic cells and modules, returning to the pattern of strong growth seen between 2000 and 2002,” says the Department of Energy in its annual evaluation of manufacturing activity in the sector. “Domestic shipments jumped from 48,664 peak kW to a record 78,346 peak kW, a 61 percent increase.”
Total shipments of PV cells and modules reached a record high of 181,116 kWp, up 66 percent from the 109,357 kWp in 2003. Module shipments increased 79 percent to 143,274 kWp last year, while cell shipments increased to 37,842 29,295 kWp. From 2003 to 2004, imports increased from 9,731 to 47,703 kWp, while exports rose from 60,693 to 102,770 kWp.
Thin-film shipments doubled to 21,978 kWp last year over 2003, and the market share of thin-film shipments has increased from 6 percent in 2002 to 10 percent in 2003, to 12 percent of total shipments last year. Crystalline silicon remains the majority of the market with 94,899 kWp of single crystal last year (52 percent) and 64,239 kWp of cast & ribbon (35 percent). While cast & ribbon increased to 35 percent of the market last year from 26 percent in 2002, single crystal accounted for 67 percent in that year. The 452 kWp of concentrator modules shipped in 2003 dropped to 0 last year.
Shipment of complete PV systems trebled from 5,525 in 2003 to 16,990 systems in 2004, mainly due to the introduction of a lightweight, portable and rugged system by a large vertically-integrated producer. Total peak kilowatts and value of shipped systems actually decreased, from 9,545 kWp in 2003 to 8,110 kWp last year, with value dropping from $50 million to $39 million. “As a result, the value per system decreased more than 74 percent in 2004, and the value per kWp dropped from $5.28 in 2003 to $4.86 in 2004.” Last year’s strong growth in PV manufacturing caused employment to rise 12 percent last year, from 2,590 person-years in 2003 to 2,916 PY in 2004. Source: Refocus Weekly, 12/7/2005.
Sen. Rob Garagiola, D-Montgomery, and a coalition of environmental advocates yesterday rolled out an ambitious legislative package to address energy conservation issues and increase the use of renewable energy in Maryland. The federal government's doing nothing about it, so the states have to take independent action, said Garagiola at an event in North Baltimore. The proposal includes seven bills, which Garagiola said he made a tactical decision to introduce individually. Two of the bills deal with the solar energy grant program created by legislation he sponsored in 2004, which provides solar power startup grants for both residential and non-residential property. The bills would double the amount available for grant awards and dedicate $1 million to the program. It's the initial startup cost that's expensive. But once you get it running, the energy's free, Garagiola said. Other bills in the package focus on helping power plants reduce emissions, and one would provide a sales tax holiday for consumers purchasing energy efficient products. In September, Garagiola and several Senate colleagues asked Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. to reverse his decision not to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative — an agreement between nine states to collectively reduce carbon dioxide emissions. We got a letter back from the environmental secretary saying 'No way,' he said. I'm going to introduce legislation to require Maryland to become part of this coalition. Garagiola said he already has a number of co-sponsors signed on to that legislation. Source: The Daily Record, 12/6/2005.
The California Energy Commission's Energy Innovations Small Grant Program provides up to $95,000 for hardware projects and $50,000 for modeling projects to small businesses, non-profits, individuals, and academic institutions to conduct research that establishes the feasibility of new, innovative energy concepts. Research projects must target one of the six Public Interest Energy Research Program areas (which includes geothermal energy), address a California energy problem, and provide a potential benefit to California electric rate payers. To encourage participation in the program, the application and award process has been simplified and assistance is available in gaining access to technical experts. Optional pre-proposal Abstracts are accepted through 1 January 2006. Grant Applications are due 3 February 2006.
The U.S. Department of Energy requests applications for the Inventions and Innovations Program. I&I supports energy-saving technologies in the conceptual and developmental stages of development. DOE is particularly interested in innovative technologies that fit within EERE program areas including the Geothermal Technologies Program. Prior to submitting a pre-application, potential applicants are strongly encouraged to do a self-assessment using the optional "Pre-Application Self-Assessment" tool. The tool is helpful in assessing whether or not an innovation is a good candidate for I&I funding. Approximately $2 million is expected to be available for 8-10 grant awards. Mandatory pre-applications are due by 11 October 2005. Final applications are due by 31 January 2006.
The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund recently announced it has issued a request for qualifications for firms to install photovoltaic systems in private residences in the state. CCEF noted that it is seeking additional installers as part of its Residential Solar Photovoltaic program, which provides rebates of $5 per watt, up to $25,000 per household, for homeowners who install PV systems. CCEF said eligible installers must meet all the terms and conditions of the program and be responsible for obtaining all permits; complying with all national, state and local codes and standards; and installing and interconnecting the PV system with the local distribution company. Contact: Charlie Moret, CCEF, phone 860-563-0015. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 11/29/2005.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers have been awarded a $300,000 National Science Foundation grant to study solar-powered heating and cooling systems operating at the micrometer scale. The team of RPI researchers are working on such projects as heat radiating from the walls of a home during winter or cool temperatures emitting from windows during the summer — all powered by the sun. The team began working on the project three years ago. The new grant will allow the team to explore ways of increasing the system's efficiency and adaptability. The system was developed by Steven Van Dessel, RPI assistant professor of architecture. It is patented under the name Active Building Envelope and uses a photovoltaic system to collect and convert sunlight into electricity. Other team members include Achille Messac, an RPI professor of mechanical, aerospace and nuclear engineering, and RPI students. Source: Albany Business Review, 12/6/2005.
Konarka Technologies, Inc. recently announced it has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to fund research that looks to attain higher levels of performance from its nano-engineered and polymer solar technologies.
According to Konarka, both the performance and efficiency of power plastic materials will be greatly improved through additional research and development efforts, such as those conducted as a result of the NSF Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project.
The company said the project will leverage the existing development partnership between Konarka and Evident Technologies to develop high-efficiency, low-cost materials in new form factors. The combined effort, a quantum dot-based power plastic, could be used for energy, communications and military applications, including battlefield or off-grid power generation. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 11/30/2005.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on October 17th a $16 million loan guarantee to help finance an electrical generating plant in rural Arizona that will burn wildfire-damaged timber along with waste wood and paper fiber from a nearby paper mill. Snowflake White Mountain Power, LLC, will build a 20-megawatt biomass power plant 17 miles from Snowflake, Arizona, near the center of the state's border with New Mexico.
The announcement marks the first time that USDA has made a loan guarantee through its Rural Development Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency program.
In July, the USDA announced it would guarantee up to $200 million in loans for such projects. The USDA is also releasing $1.7 billion for voluntary conservation programs on working farms, including $245 million for the Conservation Security Program, which, among other things, provides funds for on-farm energy management.
In late August, USDA announced that 110 watersheds throughout the country and in Guam and Puerto Rico would be eligible for CSP grants in 2006, and that the grants would include a renewable energy component. Eligible farms will receive compensation for converting to renewable fuels such as biodiesel and ethanol and for installing renewable energy systems, including methane production technologies and wind, solar, and geothermal energy systems. Source: Newstarget.com, 12/2/2005.
The EPA Office of Grants and Debarment, Grants Administration Division, has released an announcement regarding its Consolidated Environmental Professional Intern Program Grant. Source: Grants.gov, 12/8/2005.
The NEH has released an announcement regarding its Fellowship for College Teachers and Independent Scholars Grant. Source: Grants.gov, 12/8/2005.
The NEH has released an announcement regarding its Fellowships for University Teachers Grant. Source: Grants.gov, 12/8/2005.
This news item comes to you as a service of Western's Renewable Resources Program.
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